Interactive exercises to learn to identify and build musical scales on the staff. In the identify exercises, the 8 notes of a scale are shown and your task is to recognize which one it is. You can choose easy mode (4 options) or hard mode (free choice of root note and accidental).
Identify Major Scales
Major Scales
The 15 major scales. They appear with a key signature or with loose accidentals, alternating at random.
Go to the exerciseHarmonic Major Scales
The major scale with the 6th lowered by a half step. It creates an augmented second between the 6th and the natural 7th.
Go to the exerciseMelodic Major Scales
The major scale with the 6th and 7th lowered by a half step. No augmented seconds, a smoother sound.
Go to the exerciseMixolydian Scale
The major scale with the 7th lowered by a half step (Mixolydian mode). Recognize its 8 notes on the staff.
Go to the exerciseIdentify Minor Scales
Natural Minor Scale
The 15 natural minor scales. Same key signature as the relative major, pattern W-H-W-W-H-W-W.
Go to the exerciseHarmonic Minor Scale
The 7th degree raised by a half step. It creates an augmented second between the 6th and the 7th that sets it apart.
Go to the exerciseMelodic Minor Scale
The 6th and 7th degrees raised in the ascending form. No augmented second, a smoother, more vocal line.
Go to the exerciseDorian Scale
The minor scale with the 6th raised by a half step (Dorian mode). Recognize its 8 notes on the staff.
Go to the exerciseThe Complete Exercise
All Scales
All 90 scales together: major, harmonic and melodic major, and the three forms of minor. Name the root, major or minor, and the type.
Go to the exerciseBuild Scales
Build Major Scales
You get the name of the scale and draw its 8 notes from scratch on the staff.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Mixolydian Scale
The major scale with a lowered 7th. Draw its 8 notes on the staff.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Harmonic Major Scale
The major scale with a lowered 6th and its augmented second. Draw the 8 notes.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Melodic Major Scale
The major scale with the 6th and 7th lowered. Draw the 8 notes on the staff.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Natural Minor Scale
The "pure" minor, pattern W-H-W-W-H-W-W. Draw its 8 notes from scratch.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Harmonic Minor Scale
The minor with a raised 7th and its augmented second. Draw the 8 notes.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Melodic Minor Scale
Ascending form (6th and 7th raised) and descending form (natural minor). Draw all 15 notes.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Dorian Scale
The minor with a raised 6th, the Dorian mode. Draw its 8 notes on the staff.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Chromatic Scale
The 12 pitches a half step apart, ascending or descending. Draw the 13 notes, with sharps going up and flats going down.
Go to the exerciseBuild Scales with a Key Signature
These exercises are done in two steps, as in class: first you write the key signature of the key, then the scale on top of it, marking only the accidentals that belong to each scale.
Build the Major Scale with Key Signature
First the major key signature, then the scale, which inherits it with no added accidentals.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Mixolydian Scale with Key Signature
Major key signature plus the lowered 7th, written with a natural sign over the key signature.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Harmonic Major Scale with Key Signature
Major key signature plus the lowered 6th, written as an accidental over the key signature.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Melodic Major Scale with Key Signature
Major key signature plus the lowered 6th and 7th, written as accidentals.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Natural Minor Scale with Key Signature
Minor key signature; the scale inherits it with no accidentals of its own.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Harmonic Minor Scale with Key Signature
Minor key signature plus the raised 7th (leading tone), written with a natural or a sharp.
Go to the exerciseBuild the Melodic Minor Scale with Key Signature
Minor key signature; going up the 6th and 7th are raised and going down they are cancelled (15 notes).
Go to the exerciseBuild the Dorian Scale with Key Signature
Minor key signature plus the raised 6th, written with a natural sign over the key signature.
Go to the exerciseCustom scale worksheets to print
Besides the quizzes, you can create your own printable worksheet here. You choose which scales go in (all the major ones, all the minor ones, both, or only the types you want), whether the task is to identify them, write them with accidentals or write them with a key signature, the clef, how many accidentals the key signature has and how many scales. A new sheet comes out each time, with its answer key, ready to print.
Each scale has its own staff, and the melodic minor is written complete, going up and down. Every sheet has a number: below the buttons a link appears that brings back exactly the same sheet, to reprint it or to give the same one to a whole class. You can photocopy them freely for the classroom.
If you prefer ready-made sheets of a single type, each exercise has its own PDF with answers. For example: identify harmonic minor scales, write major scales or write the Dorian scale with a key signature.
How to practice scales
The recommended order is to start with the major scales, moving gradually around the circle of fifths. Next come the natural minor scales (the same key signatures as their relative majors), then the harmonic minor scales (with the raised 7th and its characteristic augmented second) and finally the melodic minor scales.
In the identify exercises the scales appear both with a key signature and with the accidentals written note by note, so you practice both ways of reading found in real scores.
To lock these scales into your fingers, practice them with the online metronome at 60-70% of your target tempo, raising it by 5 BPM each time you play three repetitions without mistakes. The online tuner lets you check your tuning before you start.